Chatter

By Jim K.

April 14, 2008 11:16 AM | Link to this

A tip of the hat to Mrs. Rease’ family for helping her stay where she’s most at home and for shouldering the financial commitment to make it happen. I hope for everyone’s sake it turns out well in the end.

A second tip of the hat to AJC reporter Jim Auchmutey, first for recognizing, and then for weaving an engaging human interest story. I am not ashamed to admit I am hooked. This is the sort of reporting we used to get a lot more of from the AJC. Again, I hope the story turns out well in the end.

By js

April 15, 2008 7:01 AM | Link to this

Excellent series! I’m thoroughly enjoying reading about Mrs. Rease and the renovation of her house. With all of the sensational news in our media, this is an uplifting beacon of light.

By David Bruce

April 15, 2008 9:07 AM | Link to this

This is a great story. It’s nice to see reporting focusing on the goodness of people over the bad.

Ms.Reese is blessed with a family that cares enough to do this for her, and that is so rare these days.

By LB

April 15, 2008 8:38 PM | Link to this

This is excellent reporting. It seems as if the photographer and the reporter were there from the beginning, not after the fact.

How, if either is reading this, how did you find out about this story and decide to commit to it?

It’s very moving that the niece is doing this. I’d LOVE to think I would do it as well. But I don’t know. They are hoping the neighborhood comes back, and they don’t lose any money. But you have the real sense that it’s NOT an investment as much as a gift to their aunt, or, simply, the right thing to do.

By Mesha

April 15, 2008 10:20 PM | Link to this

This is a great series, i have truly enjoyed it. It brought back memories of my grandmother and grandfather who resided in the Pittsburgh community on Ira St. for 50 years plus. My family moved my grandmother out of the neighborhood when my grandfather passed away in 2002. The article brought back the memories of my granddad who was a Junk collector like Mr. Rease. He took pride in other people scraps and he loved his yard to be filled with cars and he was the greatest mechanic, oh how i miss him. My grandmother still speaks of the times in the Pittsburgh community. The grocery store on McDaniel Street use to be called Great Savings, how many times i walked there as a child. I too visit the old neighborhood just Sunday and you still can find some great people in that community. My life has taken me to become an educator for one of the local school system but i could never trade my found memories as a child of the great Pittsburgh community and i understand Mrs. Rease love for her home and memories, God bless her great niece, Mrs. Rease and the angel sent contractors.

By Sandy_G

April 16, 2008 12:02 PM | Link to this

What a great story. I feel for them regarding the cost of the renovations. It’s a shame they didn’t look into the Community Block Grant Program on behalf of Dorothea. She most likely could have been awarded a grant through the City of Atlanta’s Community Development department.

The Federal government provides funding to local agencies to renovate and rehabilitate the homes of low income and elderly people. Sometimes the money is in the form of a grant and sometimes it is in the form of a no-interest, no-montly payment loan which only has to be paid back if you sell your home. You generally have to get on a waiting list when you apply because the agencies only get a certain amount of funding each year, and for that reason, they don’t advertise that this help is available. It’s really a shame too, because the grants/loans are meant for people just like Dorathea and this could have potentially saved her family a lot of money.

By M. Mom

April 16, 2008 12:39 PM | Link to this

Thank you for writing this series! I am really enjoying it. It makes me feel good to know that there are folks out there who care about our elderly citizens and are doing all they can to make the quality of their lives better. I’m also insprired by the Funderburk brothers and their passion for historic preservation. As an Atlanta native, it has always been a dream of mine to purchase an old home, renovate it and bring it back to life. I’ll hire the Funderburks anyday to do the work!

Kudos to AJC for allowing this well rounded series. It not only reports on the challenges of our City, but also gives hope and motivation to change things for the better.

By Jo Ann Jenkins Armour

April 17, 2008 11:40 AM | Link to this

This series is an absolute joy to read. I grew up in the Pittsburgh community and the memories came flooding back as I saw the photos of some of the people I grew up with! An older white gentleman, at church, asked me if I knew about the article. He remembers coming to Pittsburgh with his father, some 50 years ago, to pick up clothing that needed to be taken to the dry cleaner’s. Monday afternoon, I drove over to see the house and ended up chatting with “Cynt” next door,(a lifelong friend)for a few minutes, and to Miss Doretha, for about two hours. She nearly screamed when I named the people that lived in each house on Smith street: Miss Toomer, “Hair Cut” and the Whatley family. Of course, Miss Bea (Cynt’s mom), Miss Teresa, the Butler family, Miss Reeves, etc. I did not know Miss Doretha then, but I know her now. What a beautiful spirit she has. The Funderburk brothers did an excellent job on that house! To AJC’s journalist, Jim Auchmutey, the article was so well written, and I can hardly wait to read the next human interest series. Thank you.

By Jo Ann Jenkins Armour

April 17, 2008 11:51 AM | Link to this

Shelvy and Marvin Davis, great niece and nephew in-law of Mrs. Rease have opened their hearts and done what most of us wish we could do. As I told Miss Doretha, “That’s love!!!” What a wonderful gift! Way to go!

By Carla

April 18, 2008 9:52 AM | Link to this

What a great series!! I’ve enjoyed and looked forward to each day. As I finish reading Chapter 6 I have tears of joy in my eyes. Thank God for all of you involved in helping Mrs. Rease have the house of her dreams. We need more people like you in the world.

I truly wish the AJC would do more stories like this. We really are intersted in the feel good stories going on all around this city. Well done!

By Shawn

April 18, 2008 10:12 AM | Link to this

Great story. Please continue to do more. I wish Mrs. Reese all the best and congrats on your new home.

By TopDawg

April 18, 2008 10:21 AM | Link to this

What a great story! Hats off to Shelvy Davis and her family for completing such a selfless deed. I’ve often wondered why someone didn’t do this kind of home makeover for people in need, as opposed to the popular extreme makeover. What they do is great, as well, but so many more people could be helped without the extravagant upgrades they perform on each house. Dorothea now has a very nice, comfortable home to live in for the rest of her life. Thanks for the uplifting story in a time when stories are usually negative.

By Jodi

April 18, 2008 10:27 AM | Link to this

This is actually my first exposure to this story although I see it has been a long series. Either way, I think it is beautiful for the niece and her family to renovate their aunts home.

To answer the questions, yes I would think I would do the same for my aunt.

But, honestly I doubt I, myself would live out my days in a marginal neighborhood…like Pittsburgh. I would have been chillin in Cobb close to my niece.

By KPR

April 18, 2008 12:54 PM | Link to this

Liek the other readers, I was hooked from chapter One. This is such a great story. It shows so much, Love, Determination, Hope, but most importantly Faith. Faith kept her all these years in a neighborhood that most have never even heard of, and her Faith and Love of her “Home” is her guiding Force. God Bless the Whole Family. I wish them the Very Best. May I be as “Stubborn” and as Feisty as Ms. Doretha when I get to 80 :).

By leebee1963

April 18, 2008 1:22 PM | Link to this

What a wonderful story…Mrs. Davis your mother would be or should I say is very proud…

By One

April 18, 2008 1:30 PM | Link to this

I agree with everyone, this was a wonderful story!!!! This family is truly blessed!!

By Dave M

April 18, 2008 3:38 PM | Link to this

Mrs. Rease has been blessed with a truly wonderful family, as has her niece, Shelvy Davis. This story epitomizes the true meaning of family and friends, both old and new. My mother always told me “You reap what you sew.” Mrs. Rease obviously planted love, care and kindness.

By dreambig

April 18, 2008 4:18 PM | Link to this

What a beautiful story! I looked forward to it everyday. I came to the web just to see all the videos and pictures, today. I love this type of story. It lets us know there are still loving, caring people who have not discarded our elderly. Ms. Rease’s love of her neighborhood and the home she built with her husband is just so inspirational. At a time when America is so politically divided the brothers (Roger & Danny) are proof positive that we can work together for the greater good. God Bless Shelvy and her husband and daughter too. It takes a tremendous amount of love and respect to do something like this! This makes the paper worth reading.

By Parlos

April 18, 2008 4:43 PM | Link to this

Great Story from start to finish, dispite of what’s going on around Atlanta, it is truly a wonderful city with wonderful people….

By Tonia

April 18, 2008 6:42 PM | Link to this

to Mr. and Mrs. Davis…May God bless everything that you put your hand to…I know that Mrs. Reese is your family and that is what family should do, but let’s face we don’t always do what we should. You went above and beyond…how unselfish and righteous. I am so touched by this article and will remember you and your girls in prayer.

By Alma

April 18, 2008 9:59 PM | Link to this

Kudos to everyone involved in this project, from the Davis family that extended their love to Doretha Rease, a great aunt that is like a grandmother to Shelvy, to all those from AJC staff, and also to the contractors. I had already heard first hand about this house and the challenges it presented all those who helped complete the project. You see, I am the mother of the two contractors, Danny and Roger Funderburk, and I will say that our whole family is so very proud of these guys. I love that they were given the opportunity and the privilege to experience those many months while they were working on Doretha’s house. I know there were times when they were tired, frustrated but they were committed to finish the job and present a “home” that this wonderful elderly lady can enjoy until “Jesus calls her home”. My prayer for Mrs. Rease is that she will live many more years and that her family will always be there, which from what I have learned about the Davis family, they truly are a loving, caring family.

As for Jim Auchmutey; thank you for a great story at a time when we hear and read so many negative stories. It was very thoughtful that you presented it as a series because it sure kept me excited about each day even though I already knew about the outcome. Also, the pictures and videos were absolutely great!

By Ally

April 30, 2008 11:21 AM | Link to this

Beautiful. There is nothing like the love of family. Thanks, AJC for presenting a family story that we can all be proud of.